MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Drivers in and around Myrtle Beach should expect more deer on the roads over the next few weeks as the animals move into their breeding season, wildlife officials say.
The rut in South Carolina peaks from mid-October through mid-November, according to a deer project supervisor with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Horry County recorded 462 deer-vehicle collisions in 2024, the most of any county in the state, with Spartanburg, Anderson and Greenville counties next.
Bucks are the deer most often struck in the fall because they are chasing does. Statewide, roughly 45 percent of these crashes happen during the October and November breeding stretch, the agency has said, and most occur around dawn and dusk, the same hours many people drive to and from work.
The agency advises drivers who spot a deer far ahead to honk, flash their headlights when no one is coming and slow down. If the animal is close, braking is the better choice. Where one deer crosses, others often follow.
Officials also warn that swerving can be more dangerous than the deer itself. The worst injuries tend to come when a driver loses control and hits a tree or embankment, so striking the animal is safer than running off the road. Deer crossing signs mark spots where animals have been hit before, but deer can cross for miles beyond them.
Section: More Myrtle Beach SC crime news
Filed under: Myrtle Beach SC Traffic News
